With ECU basketball practice opening on Saturday, new Pirate head coach Joe Dooley officially makes his return and he has his team in peak condition.

Dooley comes over from Florida Gulf Coast where he had a successful stint after being a long time assistant for Bill Self at Kansas. Of course Dooley spent four years as head coach at ECU from 1995-99 after serving on Eddie Payne's staff for several years before that.

"This time of year everybody is excited. There are 351 teams that have hope and at the end of the year there are only 68 teams who have hope," Dooley said on Friday, "I think the guys have had a good preseason. We've gotten through relatively healthy. We've made improvements in the strength and conditioning part of it and its a great time of the year."

With the team officially opening practice on Saturday, Dooley talked about what you can expect compared to the preseason.

"Some similarities, not as much skill work on an individual basis. There will be more team stuff. We've done more defensive stuff and more team stuff than in the past, said Dooley, "The rules have changed a little bit too. I think we've put more emphasis on defensive stuff in the preseason than I have previously."

ECU also has some new graphics and banners in the Smith-Williams Practice Facility inside the Minges Coliseum Complex.

"We are excited with the graphics. Our boosters have stepped up. It gives it a great, classy look and I think it gives it a recruiting touch," Dooley said.

Dooley's excitement level is high in his return to Greenville and he talked about that on Friday.

"It's 31 years of doing this and it's still the same. It's exciting to get out on the court. It's a great time of the year. Everybody is fired up to get out and practice. It's the dark days of the end of October when you find out where your team is. If they can handle the practices and handle playing the games," Dooley told PirateIllustrated.com, "We've got a very busy November so once we get through this early November it will be all basketball and all games."

Dooley says his team has gotten in better condition and better at shooting the basketball.

"Our guys have a little bit better feel for what we're looking to do. They've done a good job of working on those things and I think they've made some strides. Having consistent effort is one of the areas where we have made the biggest strides."

Shooting guard Shawn Williams had an all-rookie campaign for ECU last season and he enters this season with great excitement.

The AAC Rookie of the year was named American Rookie-of-the-Week four times, tying the league record. Williams set the ECU freshmen season records for free throw percentage (.878), 3-point field goals made (72) and 3-point field goal attempts (196).

He also set the ECU record for most most 3-point field goals made without a miss, going 6-for-6 at Tulane.

"I can't even sleep at times. I'm so ready for the season. We've been working so hard it's like we have no choice but to be ready for it the way we've been working so I'm ready," said Williams, "I'm just trying to take it to a different gear. I felt like I was already working hard but Dooley came and we're working even harder plus I've been in the weight room all summer so I'm a lot stronger. We work way harder. It's crazy."

For 6-4 senior point guard Isaac Fleming, this is his last go round so he is looking to go out with a bang. Fleming says he has slimmed down over the offseason and that should pay dividends this season.

"Mentally and physically just losing all the weight that I lost and getting in tip top shape and playing at the level that I'm capable of playing. I lost 20 pounds so I'm at 195 now. I was like 218 last year so I'm flying around now. You're going to see a lot of dunks this year," Fleming said, "I feel like a whole new person. I don't get tired as much. Honestly I feel like now I can play the whole forty minutes and not get tired."

"Coach Dooley told me that if I don't get my body fat under ten percent you won't be my starting point guard. As a player I didn't use it as he doesn't want me to be here, I just used it as motivation and I was locked in all summer."

"There is no playing around. We're jogging everywhere, running everywhere and if he catches us walking anywhere, we're on that baseline so it's high intensity. It's really the greatest feeling since I've been here. It's really family oriented now. We all believe in each other and we know we can do something special this year."

ECU opens the season on Tuesday November 6 against Delaware State. Tipoff is at 7:45 pm in Minges Coliseum.